Genre veteran Jeff Strain has revealed that his new studio will “almost certainly” adopt a subscription model for its upcoming console-based zombie MMO.

Discussing the genre and his development plans following the formation of Seattle-based start-up Undead Labs, the ArenaNet founder and former NCsoft president of product development said that Sony and Microsoft are receptive to the idea of subscription models, although he noted there are still challenges to overcome.

“I’ve been talking to them for years and I think they very much want to see this. There are lots of sticking points to get through. The questions will be how billing works, how the revenue is recognised and who gets what,” Strain told Develop, adding that Sony and Microsoft are still “feeling their way through the whole MMO business model… People will make it much easier to jump the hurdle if people can come to the table and say ‘we’re making a console-only MMO from the ground-up’.”

Elsewhere, Strain told the site that Nintendo’s Wii remote offers “staggering” possibilities for the genre.

”Certainly the Wii’s direct-access controller would enable a phenomenal level of MMO mechanics,” he said, although he also feels the hardware’s “just not up to scratch” when it comes to delivering the standards of presentation MMO players expect. “But, hey, who knows what the next generation of hardware will bring.”